Brendan McTaggart speaks to Gerard Walsh ahead of Saturday’s Joe McDonagh Cup final
Gerard Walsh has been a mainstay in the Antrim team since Darren Gleeson took the reins and you won’t meet a cooler customer than the Saffrons utility man. It seems that nothing phases Walsh and the prospect of playing in Croke Park with support is no different: “It will be different with the fans there but it’s going to be the same game really. Croke Park has near enough the exact same dimensions as every other pitch in the country and nets at either end of the field like every other pitch in the country.
“I’d say the only difference really is there’s a lot more concrete and a couple of extra toilets in the stadium. The fans are there sure but once the balls thrown in, it doesn’t come across your mind at all. It doesn’t factor into my own performance and I don’t think it would factor into anyone else’s.”
Having played on the half back line in the final two years ago against Kerry, Walsh is likely to line out at three having played there for most of the past two seasons. “Full back is something a bit different,” said Walsh, “I hadn’t played there since my U12 or U14 days. But with the competition surrounding the Antrim set-up in the past year or two, I’m just delighted I’ve been able to play the majority of games and I’m grateful to be able to do so. It’s a great honour and a great opportunity that I relish and I hopefully will continue to enjoy.”
With the calendar now refixed and a more condensed schedule, the games have been coming thick and fast but the Rossa club man relishes the challenge they have been faced with before speaking a little more on the Saffrons form in 2022: “Personally I don’t really mind (the schedule). The more games the better. We train often enough so why cant we play more? I suppose with the games coming thick and fast it suits some boys and not the others, I’m just happy to be playing.
“I definitely think that we’re playing with a wee bit more fluidity than we were in the league and we’re trying to minimise the mistakes but it definitely was disappointing. People thought you were performing well by getting close to these top teams but we want to be one of those top teams and it can be a bit demoralising when you’re just getting moral victories and not wins.”
Playing in Croke Park for Walsh, you get the feeling was like water off a ducks back. It’s another pitch with those ‘extra toilets’ and his preparations will be no different as he continued: “It literally is just another game for me. There is more added hype and some butterflies and question yourself a little more, maybe an extra round of toast for pre-match carbs but those are the type of things you do factor in. Apart from the extra add-ons you usually get from league games or the round robin Joe McDonagh games, to me there isn’t an awful lot of change in approach to finals.
“Whatever happens, happens. It’s another game of hurling and I’ve played plenty, hopefully I continue to play many more. Just another one in the grand scheme of things and it’s not the be-all and end-all.”
Having played Kerry last time out and coming out second best, Walsh said it was the nature of the McDonagh Cup: “There’s no hiding place in the whole competition. The Joe McDonagh is a serious competition and all the teams are vying for a final spot. It came right up to the last day and it turns out it’s Kerry we’ll share the pitch with but they’ll be trying to bring something different to the table and we’ll do the same as we weren’t good enough the last day (in Corrigan).”
With a place in the All-Ireland Qualifiers already secured, a win on Saturday will mean Antrim being reinstated into the Leinster Championship. It’s a massive reward but Walsh said he’s looking no further than Saturday and Croke Park: “We understand what lays ahead but not too many will be looking beyond the 4th June and the task we have with Kerry. It will be difficult enough and whether it’s Cork or Wexford or whether we get into Leinster next year, all that really matters is the 4th June.”
Having played Kerry in the McDonagh Final two years ago, there are certain similarities to be found but Walsh said: “It’s the same opposition, same pitch. A lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. There’s been plenty of personnel changes, boys coming in and some leaving and I’m sure Kerry are exactly the same as well. But look, we’ll be wearing yellow and they’ll be wearing green, there’ll be one ball on the pitch and 30 lads, I don’t see much difference.
“It is a big deal in terms of the opportunity it gives us next year and the Leinster Championship but it is just another game and that’s the way we’ll try to treat it. We’ll try to bring a performance and get a result.”